Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-12-16

dutieF; and at the same time tn en,nb,s;1o 4.
Suggestion That III accomplishing this pur
pose | we may discharge adouble duty to our
peop5e ny granting to them a measure of re-
ile1 1l,om tariff taxation in quarters where il
IS mdst needed. and from sources where Il
eau il liz hlost ralry and justly accorded: nor
can 9he presentation made of such consider
atlo1 De with any degree of fairness re-
gardiN as evidence of unfriendliness toward
ouf ifial't.act'lflng interests, or of any lack
OF altpreclation of their value and import
ahee. these interests constitute leading
anu la .tios. SUBSTANTIAL element of our national
greatness. and furnish the proud proof of
our fountry's progress. But if, in the
emergency that presses upon us, our manu-
factuters are asked to surrender
something for the public good
and ti' avert disaster, their patriotism, as
wen Isl grateful recognition of the advan-
tages already afforded, should lead them to
willing CO. operation.
No|demand is made that they shall foreoo
all penents OF government regard, but thew
cannPt TAIL to be admonished of their duty.
as we'll as their enlightened self interest and
surely, When they are reminded of the fact
that the financial panic and the collapse to
Wh1cp the present condition tends
AFFORD NO, GREATER SHELTER Or PRO-
to or manufactures than to our other i'm
por4ant enterprises
Opportunity for safe. careful and deiber-
ate feform is now offered, and none of us
should be unmindful of a time when an
| abused and irritated people, needless of
th9ie who have resisted timely and reason
abFe relief, may insist on radical and
sweeping rectification of wrongs. The DIFF
fichlty attending a wise and fair revision of
is ut
Will require on the part of congress
great labor and care, and especially a broad
and rational contemplation of the subject.
and patriotic disregard of such local and
selnfh CLAIMS as are unreasonable and reck-
less Ut the welfare of the entire country.
Under our present laws more than four
thousand y, articles are subject to duty. Many
OF these DO not i'll any way compete with our
| manufacturers, and many are hardly worth
attention as subjects of revenue. A consid-
cradle reduction can be made in the agsre-
gate by adding them to the free list. The
| taxation of Injuries presents no features of
hardship, but the necessaries of life, used and
| consumed by all the people, the duty upou
which adds to the cost of living in every
home, should be greatly cheapened. The
radical reduction OF the duties imposed'upon
raw material used i'll manufactures. or its
free importation, i, of course an import
ant factor III any effort to re-
| duce the price of these necessaries. Ii
would not only relieve them from the in
creased cost caused by the tariff on such
material, but the manufactured product
being thus cheapened. that part of the tariff
now laid upon such product, as a compen-
sation to our manufacturers for the present
| price of raw material, could
BE ACCORDINGLY MODIFIED.
Such reduction. or free importation. would
serve beside to largely reduce the revenue.
1t Is not apparent how such a change can
have any injurious effect upon our manu-
features. On the contrary. it would appear
to give them u better chance in foreign
markets with the manufacturers of other
| countries, who cheaper their wares by free
material Thus our people might have the
opportunity OF extending their sales beyond
the limits of home consumption, saving
them from the depression, interruption in
business, and loss caused by a glutted do
| nestle market, and atfording their en-
ployes more certain and steady labor, with
It's resulting quiet and contentment.
| The question thus imperatively pre-
sented for solution should be
approached in an aspect higher than parti-
sanship, and considered in the light of that
regard for patriotic duty which should
characterize the action of those intrusted
with the veal of Il coniiding people. But
the obligation to regard party policy and
principle is not wanting to urge prompt and
effective action. Both of the great
political parties now represented i'll the gov
eminent have, by repeated and authoritative
declarations, condemned the condition of
our laws which permit the collection from
the people of unnecessary revenue, and
| have in the most solemn manner promised
their correction: and neither as citizens nor
partsns are our countrymen i'll a mood
to condone deliberate violation of these
pledges, and our progress toward a wise
conclusion will not be improved by dwelling
upon the theories Of
PROTECTION AND FREE TRADE.
This savors too much of bandying epithets.
It is condition which confronts us, not Il
theory. Relief from this condition may
involve slight reduction of the advantages
which we award our home productions.
But the entire withdrawal of such advan-
tsges should not be contemplated. The
question of free trade is absolutely irrele-
want, and the persistent claim made in GER
tain quarters that all efforts to relieve the
people from unjust and unnecessary taxation
are schemes of so-called free traders, is
mischievous and far removed from any
consideration for the public good.
The simple and plain duty which
we owe the people is to reduce
taxation to the. necessary expenses
OF an economical administration of
the government aud to restore to the bust
ness of the country the money which we
hold i'll the treasury through perversion OF
governmental powers. These things can
and should be done with safety to all our i'll
dustries, without danger to the opportunity
for remunerative labor, which our working
men need, and with benefit to them and all
our people, by cheapening their means of
subsistence and increasing the measure of
their comforts
OTHER MATTERS.